Shoe-string fastener



May 24, 1927.

P. A. DE HAAN SHOE STRING FASTENER Fi led Nov. 1925 X/zhemr I 4 Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES PAUL A. DE HAAN, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

SHOESTRING FASTENER.

Application filed November 25, 1925. Serial No. 71,418.

The object of my invention is to provide a shoe string fastener of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction.

More particularly it is my object to provide a shoe string fastenerespecially adapted for use by children in tying their shoe laces or strings by using small member having an opening therein and a slot conneeted with the opening and extended towards one corner of the member. wherein the shoe string may he slid through the slot and brought into the opening for forming a tie or fastening which will hold the shoe string in fastened position.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my shoe string fastener, whereby the objects contemplated'are attained,as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of my fastener member.

Figure 2, is a plan view of the same,

Figure 3, is a perspective view of a shoe showing the laces in position in connection with the fastener.

Figure 4, is a similar view showing the laces in another position and Figure 5, is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the laces in fastened position.

In the accompanying drawing I have used reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a shoe or the like. having laces therein. The laces 11 extend through eyelets in the shoe 10 and have ends 12 tl1ereon which are to be used for fastening together or for tying purposes.

My improved fastener member is referred to by the reference numeral 13 and consists of a small rectangular block or body member of any suitable size having a central open: ing 14 therein. A slot 15 extends from one corner of the member 1 and registers with the opening 1.4 and is in alinement therewith.

The extended. ends 12 of the laces 11 are designed to slip through the slot 15 and into the opening 14 and are then extended forwardly from the member 13 as clearly indicated in the Figure 3 of the drawings. This is the first position of the laces for tying purposes.

The ends 12 of the laces 11 are then bent downwardly around the rear or underneath surface of the member 13 and brought to the position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The end of the laces 12 as shown in Fig ure 4 are then bent forwardly and downwardly over the forward surface of the member 13 and through the opening 14 by sliding them through the slot 15. The ends 12 after passing through the opening 14 are brought to the position shown in the Figure 5 of the drawings by having the extended ends 12 pass down along the lower half of the back or under side of the member. 13, the ends of the laces extend downwardly as clearly illustrated in the Figure 5 of the drawings.

The shoe laces may be quickly and easily fastened by simply sliding them through the slot 15 into the opening 14 and thereafter twisting them or pulling them around the member 13.

The opening 14 isof greater diameter than the width of the slot 15 for permitting the shoe laces to easily pass through the opening 14.

- The advantage of my fastener is primarily its simplicity and the fact that the children can readily fasten their own laces and there is no danger of having them get knotted.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my invention, without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

A shoe string fastener of the kind described, comprising a body rectangular in outline of slightly greater length than width. provided with a single substantially central hole and a single slot of less width than the diameter of the hole extending from the hole to one of the narrow ends of the body adjacent to the corner thereof on a diagonal line.

Des Moines, Iowa, November 16, 1925.

PAUL A. DE HAAN. 

